2006 Mitsubishi 380 SX Platinum review from Australia and New Zealand

As the car has only 28000km on the clock, you wouldn't expect any problems - and there haven't been any!

This car is ridiculously under-rated in every respect. After driving the Falcon, Commodore and Aurion, I didn't expect much from the 380. How wrong I was.

Although I've always disliked front-drive cars, the 380 handles with confidence. It feels very rigid and composed on any surface. It goes surprisingly hard, too. It might have less grunt than the others, but the thing really moves! The gearbox is a smooth shifting delight with perfectly stacked ratios. The engine even has a sweet growl to it and returns reasonable, if not outstanding, fuel economy. It will run on e10, but I have found this to be false economy.

I love the external styling (it grows on you), but the interior is mildly disappointing. It's by no means poor, but some of the plastics feel a bit rubbish. The blue dash lighting looks awesome! Stereo is too boomy on the factory settings and needs a fiddle to get right. Great once set, though.

A few minor quibbles - you can't turn off air vents individually and you sit very low in the back. Also the boot is a funny shape. Big enough, but has raised a few choice words from me when we've packed the 380 full. Needs a few more storage spaces in the cabin.

Exceptionally well featured for the price - Bluetooth, climate, sunroof, 17" alloys, parking sensors, 5 year roadside assist warranty, the list goes on.

A fantastic, rock solid, top value car. If only more people knew. I love this car!